#MompreneurMondays – Nicole Feliciano

#MompreneurMondays – Nicole Feliciano

Ever since breaking into the world of blogging I have been inspired by today’s #MompreneurMondays mom. Nicole Feliciano is a force to be reckoned with. She is the true definition of what a Mompreneur is and she will clue you on it and how you too can be a Mom Boss in her new book Mom Boss (which I have read and LOVE). You can check out my review on it next week.

Like other moms featured Nicole saw a hole in the market that needed to be filled when she started her company MomTrends. Almost a decade later the company is still growing and means so much to so many. Moms look to MomTrends the same way they look to their friends for advice. Not sure which car seat is best? MomTrends has you covered. Not sure what the cool moms are drinking when they get a night out with friends? MomTrends has you covered. Pretty much anything you’re wondering about fashion, family, fun MomTrends has you covered. Their support doesn’t stop there. They are not only the go to resource for moms looking to know. MomTrends is the go to resource for moms in the know! MomTrends works with THOUSANDS of bloggers. Nicole knows that working with other bloggers is a great way to grow their site and help bloggers grow as well. But wait there’s more. MomTrends also works with all of those brands you already love or are waiting to learn about so that you can love. MomTrends is great at connections.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Nicole a number of times at events around the City. Some hosted by her and some hosted by others. Did I mention how supportive she is of others? I’ve never had the opportunity to tell her but I count meeting her and being welcomed into the MomTrends world as one of my blogging blessings. And I’m really grateful that she decided the world needed MomTrends because it definitely has paved the path for many of us bloggers today.

Get to know this amazing woman a little but more in our interview below. P.S. Her favorite knock-knock joke is my go to joke.What did you want to be when you grew up?

A fashion designer.

What were you doing before you came up with the idea for your business?

Working at Ralph Lauren.

How did you come up with the name of your business?

I was doing freelance blogging for a site called puppytrends and loved the name.

When did you start your business?

MomTrends started in 2007.

Why did you start your business?

I wanted to write about stylish nurseries that suited my Ralph Lauren tastes, but also my Brooklyn Food Co-Op budget. In 2007, I was seeing all these blogspot urls pop up. I wanted to blog about what I wanted to read – about living a stylish and fabulous life with less time, energy, and money! It’s possible to have it all – you just needed to know where to look.

I’ve always been generous with my resources. If I found a great new restaurant, salon, or boutique, my instinct wouldn’t be to hoard the resource; I wanted to share. My blog would be the ultimate sharing hub for my girlfriends.

Why should we support your brand?

Authenticity and trust mean more than fast and furious growth. I want this brand around for decades to come. Now we’re a team of 10. I’m proud and inspired by the women I work with. Each day they bring a level of awesome to everything we do. I support moms every day and love doing it.

Three things you’ve learned since starting the company.

Let your community lead–when you listen to what your customers want you can’t go wrong.

Build a good team–hire women who complement your skills and don’t get in the way of their success.

Things will always look better in the morning.

Where do you see the business being in five years? In fifteen?

We’ll have a digital video channel with streaming content in five years and a thriving content network that generates $5MM a year in sales.

15 years from now I will be focusing on building our skiing and travel content and will have replaced myself as chief style officer at MomTrends. I should be on the way to building my Montana retirement house.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

My girls. I want them to see me succeed and to dream big.

Three brands other than yours that you support.

Foodstirs, LuxuryTravelMom.com, Mabels Labels.

Parenting advice you would like to share.

Learn how to say no. It’s so hard when you are launching your business to turn down opportunities. But you’ve got to be protective of your resources – time and money. Never lose sight that you started this all to be more present for your family.

#momguilt – do you feel it? How do you cope?

The trick to avoiding mom guilt is to know in your own mind why you are working and what motivates you to work. From talking to friends and from my own experience, you can tame 80 percent of guilt if you are working smart and have a clear goal to share.